Always There
by Sam.J.Eller
Summary: Sam knows his brother has always been there for him, and he works to provide Dean with that same understanding. The brother's have a heart-to-heart and recall an event from their childhood. Tag to 11x08 (Just My Imagination). Hurt/Caring/Sam and Protective/Guilty/Dean. Weechesters/Teenchesters.


Note: Set after 11.08 (Just My Imagination). Wrote this, wasn't sure I wanted to post it, but I know some of you babes will appreciate it so I forced myself to. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Sam was thinking, mauling something over.

Dean could practically hear the gears spinning in the kid's head.

It wasn't hard to imagine what had his brother so silently occupied.

The cage.

Dean hated even thinking about it, and he hated even more that Sam was thinking about it, or remembering, or having visions, or whatever the hell was going on.

Dean didn't know where the visions were coming from or if Sam going to the cage was the only thing that would stop the darkness.

But it didn't matter, none of it mattered, because Sam was _not_ going back to the cage.

Not ever.

Dean would make sure of it.

"Hey, Dean, I just wanted to-

"Dude, you are not going back to the cage, alright? I've told you this already. Do you need me to write it down and staple it to your forehead? Or maybe I will sharpie it on the window so-

"You would sharpie the window?" Sam asked in disbelief, slight amusement colouring his face.

"Damn right I would, if it means you'll stop looking out it like a lost puppy." Dean stated.

Sam smirked softly, equal parts entertained and touched by his brother's adamant declarations.

"That's good to know, but that's not what I was going to talk about."

Dean glanced at his brother.

"Well, then what is it?" He asked, staring back out on the road, more than a little concerned about what Sam did want to speak about.

"It's about Sully."

Dean's eyebrow raised. "What about him?"

"I just, um, he helped me-

"I know, you said that already."

"Would you just let me finish?"

Dean nodded, agreeing to Sam's gentle request.

"What you said back there, about Sully. He helped me for a little while, but Dean, that doesn't mean that you weren't there for me."

"But I wasn't." Dean contradicted, his voice low and angry.

An anger Sam knew was not meant for him, and he found himself wishing that it was.

"You were, whenever it was possible, you were."

Sam could see his brother's jaw clenching, and knew full well that the older man was not in agreement.

"Come on man, I may have been a kid, but I wasn't a moron. I knew that anytime you left it was only because Dad made you and because the hunt was particularly important. And you would always call as often as you could, and make sure there was enough food stocked up for me to eat, and you used the little pocket money you had to to buy me books to keep me busy while you were away."

Dean was shaking his head, hating how his little brother made him sound like some sort of hero, even after he had left him.

It didn't matter that Dean hated being dragged away from Sam, or that he was under orders from their father to join him on the hunt.

It didn't matter that it tore Dean apart or that he never stopped nagging Dad to return to Sam or bring him along.

The fact was, he had left his kid brother alone for days.

Just fucking left him.

And it was unacceptable.

And was one of the many things Dean would never forgive himself for, not that he would ever tell Sam that.

"Dean."

The soft call caught the older hunter's attention, and he glanced to his right.

He nearly cringed at the sight of his little brother's openly pleading gaze.

"I know you wanted to stay with me and return as soon as possible, and I know that you were the reason Dad started letting me come on hunts, and not because you wanted me to start hunting, but because you didn't like me being alone and Dad was becoming less and less willing to leave you behind with me. Probably because even as a kid you could kick a monster's ass better than anyone he knew."

Sam finished with a grin.

It fell to a frown when he realized Dean's expression was still riddled with anger and guilt.

He had been surprised at what his brother had said to Sully, about him being there for Sam when Dean wasn't, he had never thought the older man saw things that way.

Sam was just now realizing that perhaps it wasn't that Dean was in denial that Sam had ever been alone, but rather it hurt him to think about the times that he was.

And the last thing Sam ever wanted was for his brother to feel hurt or the least bit to blame for the dysfunction of their childhood.

"You did everything you could." He assured the man.

Dean's jaw clenched and his fingers wrapped tighter around the steering-wheel.

"Not everything." He bit out.

"Yes, _everything_." Sam emphasized, needing his brother to believe what he knew to be the truth.

Dean's lips twitched, as he appreciated his brother's conviction, but his body did not relax.

Because he could have done more.

He _should_ have done more.

"Fuck, Sam. You were a kid, just a _kid_. I shouldn't have **ever** left you alone. " Dean seethed.

"You were just a kid too, Dean! Hell, you were an even younger kid when you were being left in some godforsaken motel room to take care of me!" Sam retorted, arms flailing about the way they often did when he was in the midst of a passionate argument.

Normally Dean found it amusing, but in that moment it just annoyed him, it meant Sam wasn't going to let the matter drop.

"Yeah, maybe, but I wasn't ever left alone. I always had you, and you always should have had me. You shouldn't have needed Sully. I should have been there." Dean declared sullenly.

"You _were_ every single time you could be. And the few times you couldn't it was because you were listening to Dad, because you were following orders."

Dean nearly growled.

He had trusted his father too implicitly as a child. He had worshipped him when he was young and had figured that he always knew what was best, even when being ordered away from his little brother put an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, the unease, anxiety, and distress that came with leaving his kid brother all alone.

It took him years to listen to that feeling, and to stand up to his Dad, but he had eventually done it. Soon after Sam started hunting with them, Dean had refused to leave the kid alone on his own for more than twenty-four hours, at least not until Sam was older and okay with it. Not until his baby brother stopped giving him that look like his little heart was being torn out as he stood alone at the motel room door, watching Dean and his father head off on a hunt, leaving him behind for days at a time.

"And even though I used to always bug you about being the perfect soldier, I know that you stood up to Dad a lot, for my sake, never for yours. If you hadn't I'm certain that I would have spent a hell of a lot more time on my own. So thank you."

Dean huffed at that, leave it to his stupid kid brother to not only insist that Dean was never in the wrong, but to thank him for what he did, conveniently ignoring the things that he didn't.

Dean had failed at a lot of things in life, he had a lot of regrets.

But nothing ever stuck with him more than the times he failed his kid brother, there was nothing he regretted more than letting Sammy down.

Sam could practically feel the self-condemnation emitting from his older brother, and it hurt him more than being left behind ever had.

Sometimes when he looked back on their childhood, he forgot how difficult it must have been for Dean, to work hard to follow their father's orders, while still looking out for his kid brother; being a son and parent all at once.

Gawd, it must have been impossible. He would have had to constantly be letting one of them down, in order to follow the wishes of the other. He must have felt split right down the middle some days. It also did not escape Sam's attention, that he had _very_ rarely ever felt letdown by his big brother, so it was clear to him who it was that Dean often sided with.

"I should have done it sooner, or more often, standing up to Dad. It just took me some time to realize that him bing a father, didn't mean he was always right about everything. I mean about hunting, sure, he was always on point, but when it came to you...well he missed the mark a lot and I _knew_ it, it just took me awhile to really understand that his orders weren't always what was best for us, for you."

The quite reflection surprised Sam. Dean was rarely so open with him.

"You did everything you could for me, Dean, even when you were just a kid. And we both know that Dad did the best he could." Sam stated, having some need to restore a fraction of the faith Dean had lost in their father over the years.

"Yeah, he did. But that doesn't mean that it was enough, because it wasn't." The older man declared firmly.

Sam couldn't imagine how it would feel to find out that the person you looked up to and depended on, didn't always make the right decisions or have the proper priorities. Sam couldn't imagine how much it hurt to lose faith in that person, because Dean was that person for him and he had never had a single reason to lose even an ounce of faith in his big brother.

"But you were." He added sincerely.

Dean's eyes tracked over to his brother, widened in surprise at the statement.

"You may have not always been able to physically be around, Dean, but when it came down to it, you were always there. I knew that if I ever needed you I just had to call and say so...I just wasn't always brave enough to do that." Sam faded off.

Dean returned his gaze to the rode, shaking his head.

"You shouldn't have had to call. I should have been there."

Sam released and exasperated sigh, wondering if he was actually going to have to beat the truth into his brother.

"C'mon man, I can think of _maybe_ 5 times that you weren't actually around. And I can think of hundreds of times when you were. And even those few times you weren't there, you would have come if I needed you. You may not have been able to show up every single time I was lonely or sad, but anytime I was hurt or scared, you would _always_ come if you weren't there already. And I never had to ask, you just knew."

Sam watched as his brother pursed his lips, knowing that it was difficult for him to accept praise, even when it was well earned and entirely deserved.

Sam sighed at Dean's lack of reaction, glancing out the window for a second before turning back to the left.

"You remember that time I tumbled off the bleachers and messed up my ankle?" Sam questioned.

Dean's jaw went back to clenching.

"You mean when a bunch of little assholes _shoved_ you off the bleachers and _fractured_ your ankle?" He ground out.

Sam smirked, of course that was how his brother would recall that event.

"Yeah." He said, eyeing Dean and pretty much being able to watch as the memory played out in his brother's head.

Dean's mind flashed with images of what had happened so many years ago, as he remembered the details of the situation.

 _Dean dropped into the library chair, utterly exhausted._

 _He and his father had spent the past two days hunting down an elusive fugly._

 _The hunt wasn't supposed to take this long. It was only supposed to take a day, they hadn't even gotten a motel room because they should have been done a little after nightfall yesterday._

 _Dean had been more than pleased that he was missing out on school, but he didn't like that Sam was alone in the neighboring state. He had called the kid last night to say they wouldn't be home, him and his father had spent the night in the Impala after a fruitless evening spent trying to track the creature of the week. They had spend the entire day in the woods searching for it's lair, and had come up empty handed, which was why John had dropped Dean off at the library to do more research while he went back to speak to the authorities and try to dig up some new info._

 _Sam had been coming with them on hunts for the past few months, but they had been going hard the past several weeks, and earlier that same week there was a hunt that kept them out late every night and then Sam had been getting up early for school every morning, and Dean could see it was wearing the kid out. So, it was actually him that asked his father if Sam could sit this hunt out, seeing as how it was only supposed to take a day. Their dad had agreed and Sam had been grateful for the chance to sleep in and spend Sunday catching up on his homework. Dean regrets that he left the kid behind now that the hunt was taking longer. He didn't like Sam being on his own for so long and, like every time they were apart, he felt anxious and worried, and as though his insides were all twisted up._

 _Dean just wanted to go back to the motel, go back to Sam, hell, he was even willing to go back to school._

 _He sighed, looking at the stack of city records he was supposed to read through, and then switched his gaze to the front desk, deciding to call Sam instead, and let him know that Dad and him probably wouldn't be home tonight either, not at the rate things were going._

 _Dean moved over to the secretary, asking the older lady sweetly if he could use the phone to call his kid brother. She complied, even allowing him to use the one back in the office, granting him some privacy._

 _Dean dialled the motel number, adding the room extension on the end and waiting patiently for Sam to pick up, it took longer than usually, but eventually the ringing stopped and a soft greeting was voiced through the receiver._

 _"Hey Sammy, how's it going kiddo?"_

 _Dean made sure to keep his voice upbeat, not wanting to let Sam on to how exhausted he was and how badly he wanted to return to him._

 _He had to be strong for his little brother._

 _"Hey Dean."_

 _The words were normal, but the tone in which they were spoken sent alarms off in Dean's head._

 _Sam's voice was a little more than a whisper, it trembled a tad, and he could almost hear the lump in the kid's throat._

 _"What's wrong?" He questioned, all business._

 _"Nothing." Sam fibbed._

 _Dean rolled his eyes, wondering when his little brother would ever learn that he is a shitty liar._

 _"Bullshit. Tell me." He barked._

 _"Now, Sam." Dean continued after a moment of silence._

 _There was a soft sigh on the other end and then a small but unmistakable hitch in Sam's breathing._

 _Dean held the phone impossible closer to his ear._

 _"Sammy." He pleaded softly, not needing to say anymore._

 _"I fell off the bleachers after school today and hurt my ankle." He admitted in a hushed tone._

 _Dean tensed. He could hear the lie clear as day, the little hiccup on the word 'fell' gave it all away._

 _"Who was it?" He nearly growled._

 _"What do you mean?" Sam questioned, feigning confusion._

 _"You know damn well what I mean. Who hurt you?"_

 _The silence on the end of the line confirmed what Dean already knew. Someone hurt Sam, somebody put their hands on his little brother and they were going to pay._

 _"What happened Sammy? Please tell me." He requested, knowing from years spent with the kid, that orders and demands didn't work on him nearly as well as gentle pleas._

 _It was then that the dam cracked, and stuttered breaths turned into choked sobs as the story tumbled from Sam's lips._

 _"I didn't know it was their spot. I wouldn't have sat there if I did. But I didn't know so I was reading and then-then they came up and started yelling at me and I tried to leave but they wouldn't let go of my backpack, and the started hitting me; then they pushed me real hard and I fell off and I landed funny and now my ankle hurts real bad, and is all swollen, and I don't know what to do cause I put ice on it and took Advil but it still hurts. And they stole my knapsack and it had the emergency money Dad left me and my butterfly knife. And then your teacher asked me where you were today and I told her you were sick and so she gave me your homework but now it's gone to cause I put it in my bag. And I think the motel manager knows I'm by myself even though I come home and turn the TV on like you told me to, and I don't go outside again all night, and I keep the blinds closed; but he still keeps walking by the window, and he watches me when I go to school, and come home, and I don't know how to keep him away!"_

 _Sam finished his outburst, sniffling and hiccupping._

 _Dean was white-knuckling the phone, his heart shattering. He could practically see the tears streaming down the kid's face as he tried so hard to regain control. Dean cursed himself for not being there, for leaving Sam to handle everything on his own. He was just a child, for godsake._

 _"Sam." He called, waiting for the breathing on the other end to even out._

 _"Yeah?" Came the sniffled reply._

 _"Don't worry about your backpack or the money-_

 _"But Dean, Dad is going to be so mad, what if-_

 _"Just listen. Don't worry about it. I am going to come back tonight, I'll get you a new backpack, so don't worry about the money, or my homework, or your knife or any of that nonsense. I will sort it out. I want you to stay in the room, keep the door locked and curtains closed. Don't answer the door for anybody, don't pick up the phone, keep icing your ankle and try to stay off of it. Just watch some TV, eat some of the snacks I left in the nightstand, don't try to make something on one foot, you might hurt yourself worse; I'll make you some dinner when I get there. Just sit tight and read some of those comic books I left for you, I am going to be back tonight, as soon as I can. Okay buddy?"_

 _"You don't have to Dean, I will be okay. I don't want Dad to be angry."_

 _The dejected little whisper nearly reduced Dean to tears._

 _"Don't you worry about Dad, I'll take care of it. And I know I don't have to, but I want to. This hunt is a bust anyways, I'd much rather be lounging around with you, squirt. Okay?"_

 _"Kay, Dean." Sam said, the relief and gratefulness oozing from his tone._

 _"Good. I'll see you soon, buddy." Dean promised._

 _He hung up the phone a moment later and looked up the bus departure times, finding one that left in almost an hour and made a stop close to the town in which his little brother was residing._

 _Between the bus ticket and the cab fair, the trip was going to pretty much drain the last of Dean's cash, but he really didn't care. More than anything, he just needed to get back to Sammy._

 _Next came the argument with John. Dean called him and adamantly declared that he was returning to Sam. His father spent the next several minutes talking over him and stating how unnecessary it was and how 'Sam was fine' and 'Dean had to stop coddling him.' He went on to talk about how Sam was older than Dean was when he had been left on his own for a few days, which had Dean correcting his father by pointing out that he hadn't been alone, because he had had Sam, and reminding the older man for the hundredth time, that Sam was not Dean. He then went on to inform his dad that Sam had gotten injured at school and Dean needed to take a look at the kid's ankle and possibly take him to a clinic if it was required._

 _John fell silent for a moment, before giving his disgruntled approval. The truth was, that wasn't what Dean had been waiting for, he had already booked his bus ticket before he even contacted his father, and had been certain he was going regardless of what the hunter said. However, the older man's permission always made things easier._

 _He told Dean to go ahead and he would be back to join them in a couple days when he completed the hunt...on his own. John was sure to emphasize that last part, causing Dean to grit his teeth in frustration._

 _He really didn't care what his father's issue was, he had a job to do and it was the one job that came before all others, and that was to take care of Sammy._

 _If John had a problem with that, he could get the hell over it._

 _Dean nearly ran to the bus station and found he couldn't sit still the entire six hour ride. His legs were bouncing and he kept twitching about, anxious to get to Sam. He was always like this, it drove their father nuts, he was constantly telling Dean to just sit still already. He just couldn't help it, the older boy was never at ease when he didn't have Sam in sight, when he didn't know for certain that the kid was alright. Dean had a feeling it would forever be that way._

 _The teen found that one of the only things that made it easier to breathe without Sam around, was when he closed his fingers around the amulet that always dangled from his neck. Dean didn't know what it was about the ugly little charm, but when he held it in his hand, he felt closer to the mutchkin that had given it to him. Whenever Sam sought comfort, he often reached for the necklace, he'd hook his fingers around it and rub his thumb repetitively back and forth over the golden face. It seemed to work on Sam the same way it did on Dean, it calmed him, settled some level of peace over his soul._

 _If Dean thought about it further, he would consider how the odd piece of jewellery was more than just a gift he had been given, but a symbol of the brothers. A reminder of the bond they shared and the fact that regardless of all else, they_ _always had each other and they always would. They both found comfort from that reminder._

 _Dean nearly ran off the bus and straight into the cab, shouting out the address to the motel and willing it to go faster as he stared anxiously out the window._

 _It was dark out - nearly nine at night - and Dean was worried. He payed the cabbie and dove from the vehicle, immediately spotting the tall figure positioned far too close to their door. As Dean approached, he recognized the man to be the motel manager, and his anger began to grow. This man wasn't defending the room his brother was in, he was prowling around in front of it._

 _"Hey!" Dean barked sharply, as he stepped up and planted himself protectively in front of the door that was hiding Sam from the world, and all the sons-of-bitches in it._

 _"Oh, hello." The man said, his smile trying and failing to exhume innocence._

 _"What the hell are you doing?" Dean growled, sounding threatening even to his own ears._

 _Them man seemed to size him up, no doubt wondering how a mere teenager could come across so vicious._

 _"I was just worried, concerned for the younger boy. I believe that he has been alone for sometime now."_

 _Dean could see the lies clear as day through the sick grin that lit the older man's expression._

 _"He's_ _ **not**_ _alone. Stay the fuck away from him."_

 _Dean was satisfied by the fear the man displayed in his gaze as he took a step backwards. Dean may have not been as big or physically intimidating as his father, but he could threaten with the best of them._

 _He heard the door creak open behind him._

 _"Dean?" A gentle timid voice floated across the small space._

 _Dean's protective streak soared as he caught the man's eyes shift immediately behind him and watched as a disturbing smile crept across the bearded face._

 _The teen practically snarled as he planted himself fully in front of Sam, blocking the kid from the creeper's sight._

 _"Go back inside Sammy, I'll be right in." He promised,glancing over his shoulder and sending the younger boy a reassuring smile._

 _Sam looked concerned, and bit his bottom lip, his eyes never leaving Dean._

 _"Can you come in now? Please?" He requested quietly._

 _Dean nodded, never being able to deny Sam when he pulled the puppy-dog look, even though he knew his brother was asking for the sake of Dean's safety, not his own._

 _Typical Sam._

 _"Yeah, c'mon, let's go." Dean said, turning and placing his hands gently, but firmly, onto the slender shoulders as he angled the smaller boy into the room._

 _Dean guided Sam inside, before turning back and giving the man his darkest look, allowing the rage he was feeling to take over his expression. Dean could tell he succeeded when the bastard's face paled and he quickly turned and hurried away._

 _"Sick sonuvabitch." Dean seethed as he closed and bolted the door._

 _"Dean." Sam called, as his small fingers tugged on the arm of Dean's jacket._

 _The older boy shook his head, working to rid of the rage and the violent thoughts. He looked down at Sam, quickly reaching out to support him as the skinny kid began to waver._

 _"Whoa there buddy, what do you think you're doing on your feet in the first place?" He scolded, his touch gentle as he helped Sam hobble over to the bed and get up on it._

 _"I heard yelling, I was worried bout you." Sam huffed as he carefully situated himself against the headboard, wincing as his ankle shifted._

 _"Yeah well, I had it taken care of." Dean muttered, sitting on the mattress near his brother's feet and gently pulling his sweat pants up and away so he could get a look at the injury._

 _It was a mess._

 _The kid's ankle was swollen to twice its normal size and an array of awful colours._

 _"Shit, Sammy." He cursed, trying and failing to ignore the boy's soft whimpers as he clinically prodded the damaged area._

 _"Hurts." The Sam breathed out, flinching away from the pain._

 _"It's busted up pretty bad. We need to get you to the hospital."_

 _Sam's lack of argument with the verdict was all the proof Dean needed to know just how much pain the poor kid was in._

 _"They hurt you anywhere else?" He bit out, his eyes raking over the thin frame before him._

 _"Just a bruise or two, nothing bad." Sam replied._

 _Dean nodded, taking in the information._

 _"Are you alright?" He asked softly, leaning forward and watching his kid brother's face this time, swiping his unruly bangs off to the side so he could see the expressive hazel eyes._

 _Sam seemed to take a moment, before nodding, a few tears escaping as he stared up at Dean._

 _"Hey, none of that. It's going to be fine, Sam. I'm here. I'm going to look after you." He promised, thumbing away the tears leaving tracks on the young face._

 _"I know." Sam rasped._

 _Dean found himself becoming overwhelmed by Sam's grateful expression._

 _"Alright, I'm going to call a cab and we'll go get you fixed up good as new, get you some good pain-meds. Then we can come back here and eat some junk-food and watch TV. Sound good?"_

 _A small dimply smile lit Sam's face, obviously he approved of the game-plan._

 _"Sounds great. Thanks, Dean...for coming back...for being here." Sam stuttered, staring up at Dean, appreciation and adoration pouring out of him._

 _Dean felt a pang go through his heart. He didn't deserve his brother's praise, or his thanks, but he was too desperate not to take it. Desperate to make things right, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to be his little brother's hero._

 _Even when he had no right to such an honour._

 _"I always will, Sammy." He vowed, both to himself and the young boy looking up at him._

"That night I didn't even ask you to come, you just did. You were _always_ there when I really needed you."

The most agreement Sam could get out of his brother was a satisfactory grunt.

Sam shook his head in exasperation and leaned back, resting against the passenger window with a sigh.

"Oh, and I'm sorry for running away."

That got the man's attention. He looked over at Sam, eyebrows raised.

"When?"

"Every time. Every time I ran away. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." Sam confessed.

Dean's face scrunched up in what seemed to be confusion.

"Where did that come from?" He questioned.

Sam shrugged.

"I've just been thinking it lately. And I regret every time I did it, especially every time I left you. I was never _ever_ running from you Dean. Just life." He insisted.

Dean's expression hadn't altered.

Sam thought that meant he needed further explanation, when - in reality- the older hunter was simply at a complete loss for words.

"I guess I just really hate being alone, you know? I hate being left behind...and I suppose that somewhere in my mind, running away seemed the only way to fight against being alone...like the only way to fight against the fear of being left...was being the one to leave." Sam explained softly.

Dean watched the road, as he silently absorbed the words, seeing the sens in them.

"It's stupid, I know." Sam muttered.

Dean frowned at that.

"It's not stupid, Sam." He stated firmly. Because his little brother was a lot of things; tall, annoying, bitchy, self-sacrificial, stubborn, sensitive, frustration, to name a few, but the kid was not stupid. And maybe someday he would even understand that he was his big brother's hero. Maybe someday Dean would tell him, someday when it wouldn't cause Dean to cry his eyes out like a little girl.

Dean may have not always been there for Sam. He many not have been as good as a big brother as he should have been. But he would never stop trying, he would do better.

Because Sam deserved better.

And no matter what, Dean would _always_ be there for his kid.

"But, if we are going to sit here and apologize for every single regret that we have, I'm going to need to stop off for some vodka first." Dean grumbled after a moment, trying to force all the mushy thoughts and promises to the side.

There was only room for one emotional-sap in this brotherhood.

Sam chuckled softly.

"Nah, I'm done."

"Good." Dean declared with a nod.

Dean seemed a little more relaxed, less tense and upset than he had been when they began the conversation, Sam would take that as a win, knowing that it would take more than just one pep-talk to convince Dean of the truth. But Sam was committed to working on it, eventually he would get Dean to fully understand just how much he always did and how he was _always_ there for his little brother when it counted. The older man always came through for Sam, and he always had; from giving Sam the last bowl of Lucky Charms, to convincing Dad to bring him along on hunts, to killing Death.

Dean had _never_ failed Sam when it counted, and the younger hunter really needed his brother to get that through his thick skull.

Sam burrowed into his jacket and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the window and toeing his shoes off. He made a silent promise to ensure that someday Dean comprehended just how much of a hero he was to Sam.

Someday soon.

Preferably at a time when Dean didn't have to ability to cover up his ears like a child.

Sam snickered at the metal image that the thought granted him, as he pulled his legs up onto the seat, wedging his sock feet under his brother's leg.

"Dude, that's nasty. I don't want those sasquatch-sized icicles sucking the heat out of my thigh for the next two hours." Dean grumbled.

Sam just smirked, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Shouldn't you think of a way to warm your toes that doesn't involve shmooshing them under my leg?" Dean questioned.

"Why?" Sam asked innocently, cracking one eye open. "You going somewhere?"

Dean was tempted to role his yes, but instead he glanced over at Sam and then back to the road, before speaking in an honest, firm voice:

"No, Sammy. I'm not going anywhere."

A shy smiled lit the younger man's face, dimples appearing as he let his eyelids fall closed once again.

"And neither are you." Dean added softly, after a moment, resting a hand on Sam's bony knee and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks, Dean." Sam declared, his voice full of emotion, but his eyes shut to keep from displaying the moisture he knew to be gathering behind the closed lids.

"Don't mention it, kiddo." Dean responded softly, reaching under the seat to grab the stuffy old blanket and haphazardly spreading it over his brother's long frame.

Sam released a content sigh, and allowed his body to relax as he snuggled beneath the heavy fabric.

Dean nudged the radio up a little higher, but not loud enough to keep his brother awake, and began humming along as he relaxed back in his seat.

The brother's were both comforted by the reality that they would always be there for each other.

Regardless of their past, of the number of people, demons, and angles that had fought so hard to tear them apart and keep them from each other; they were still there.

They still had each other's back.

Not even the devil could keep them apart, and God could take his shot if he wanted, because the Winchester brothers would give him the same lesson they gave everyone else; not _anyone_ or _anything_ was keeping them from being there for one another.

Dean was _always_ going to be there for his little brother.

And Sam had more than proved that he would do whatever it took to save his brother, to be there for him.

Call them possessive.

Call them obsessive.

Call them over-protective.

Call them dysfunctional.

Call them co-depedent.

Cal them whatever the fuck you wanted.

The were roommates

They were family.

They were best friends.

They were each other's back-up.

The were each other's protector.

They were each other's anchor.

They were each other's hero.

They were each other's everything.

And come lovers or family, come heaven or hell, come God or Lucifer, they would _always_ be there for each other.

Always.

 _The End_

* * *

Note: Thank you so much for reading, and thanks so much to all of you who are showing so much support for my other fics. I promise I am working on updates to all the ones currently in progress, I haven't forgotten about any! Please leave a review/comment if you have a moment! It makes the anxiety of posting it all worth it. - Sam


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